This invention is concerned with apparatus for exposing a fluid to a negative pressure. There are many instances in which it is necessary to remove gas from a liquid where the gas is carried in the liquid either in solution or is finely dispersed throughout the liquid. One such instance is in the liquids used in hemodialysis processes. In these processes, conventionally water is mixed with a dialysate concentrate to form a dialysate solution and that solution is then caused to pass to one side of a membrane of a dialysis cell, wastes from blood passing the other side of the membrane being drawn across that membrane.
It is well known that it is extremely important to monitor the quantity of wastes withdrawn from the blood of a patient and the rate at which those wastes are drawn. It is further well known that a major source of error in attempts to monitor these parameters has been the inclusion of gases in the liquids utilized in the procedure and various techniques have been adopted either to compensate for the presence of gas or to remove gas from the liquids.
The present invention seeks to provide a simple and effective apparatus which is effective to degas a liquid, that apparatus being particularly, but not exclusively, useful for degassing liquids utilized in hemodialysis procedures.
There are also processes in which it is required to subject a liquid to a negative pressure as, for example, in scientific processes employing dehiscent particle activation to initiate localized reactions.
The present invention also provides apparatus effective for this purpose.